Whiterock Conservancy is a nonprofit land trust of 5,500 acres near Coon Rapids along the Middle Raccoon River in west-central Iowa. The conservancy demonstrates various sustainable ag practices that build soil health.

Rob Davis, conservation land manager with Whiterock Conservancy, will discuss pasture conservation and grazing for soil, livestock and wildlife benefits during the Iowa Learning Farms webinar at noon Jan. 17.

Efficient ways to graze
“Diverse pastures offer the opportunity to not just graze livestock more efficiently, but also the opportunity to enjoy grassland habitat and associated wildlife,” Davis says. He oversees conservation grazing efforts with five different tenants on the trust’s land.

During the webinar, the pasture system at Whiterock Conservancy will be reviewed with a focus on pasture and soil health. Grazing records on cool- and warm-season pastures offer economic insight, as well as the opportunity to explore the impacts on what is happening belowground.

ILF webinars archived
The Iowa Learning Farms monthly webinar series is on the third Wednesday of each month at noon. To log in, go to connect.extension.iastate.edu/ilf at noon and enter through the “Guest” option. The webinar will be recorded and archived on the ILF website for viewing at any time at iowalearningfarms.org/page/webinars.

Webinar on Conservation Innovation Grant
In other conservation and grazing news, USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service is hosting a webinar for potential Conservation Innovation Grant applicants at 3 p.m. Central time Jan. 11. 

NRCS uses these grants to work with partners to accelerate transfer and adoption of promising technologies and approaches that address some of the nation's most pressing natural resource concerns. This year, NRCS is focusing on:

• Grazing lands. Helping livestock producers make grazing management decisions, encouraging prescribed burning as a grazing management practice and improving access to conservation planning tools used for developing grazing management plans.

• Organic agriculture systems: Helping organic producers develop innovative cropping and tillage systems, edge-of-field monitoring, crop rotations and intercropping systems.

• Soil health. Supporting both cropping and grazing systems, in a variety of climatic zones, that incorporate soil health management systems for addressing specific resource concerns like nutrients and availability. Evaluating multiple soil health assessment methods to assist in the development of new soil health indicators and thresholds.

CIG is authorized and funded under NRCS’ Environmental Quality Incentives Program. Projects can last up to three years. The maximum award amount for any project this year is $2 million. Connect to the webinar here.

Sources: Iowa Learning Farms, NRCS